'America's Mountain' Is A Colorado Summit Of Crystal Clear Reservoirs And Endless Alpine Views

In 1893, Wellesley College teacher Katharine Lee Bates was so moved by the "purple mountain majesties" she witnessed from a summer picnic atop 14,115-foot Pike's Peak that she wrote a poem about it. That poem later became the lyrics for "America The Beautiful." Bates' stirring paean to the grandeur of America was in the running to become the national anthem until President Herbert Hoover chose "The Star Spangled Banner" instead. But Pike's Peak, just outside of outdoor-loving Colorado Springs, became known as "America's mountain."

Bates reached the summit on the back of a burro, but today you can get there by road or rail. Hop a bright red cog train up the mountain — to handle the steep grade, a third rail with sturdy steel "teeth," or cogs, helps ratchet the train up the tracks, taking just over an hour to deliver you to the slick Visitor Center that opened in 2021. Along the way, you'll pass through aspen groves and pine forests, then emerge above the tree line to dizzying mountain vistas of lush forests dotted with glistening, jewel-like lakes.

The summit is broad and flat, so you'll need to stroll a bit from one viewing platform to the next, to drink in the views stretching across five states: Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, and the one you're in — Colorado. Can you drive to the summit in your own car? Of course you can. But should you? Once you read through the very long list of the City of Colorado Springs' Driving Tips for how to navigate the highway without overheating or plunging off a cliff, you may decide that a Jeep tour is a splendid splurge.

A favorite way to conquer America's mountain is via a jaunty, energetic, three-hour Pike's Peak Jeep Tour with Mountain Jeep, winner of a 2024 Viator Experience Award, with a 5-star rating and over 450 rave reviews. Leaving from Colorado Springs, just four to a vehicle, you'll soar into the stratosphere up the paved highway, to the mountain's often-snowy peak, learning lore, legends, and fun factoids along the way. In summer, the top comes off these convertible vehicles for an open air thrill ride, but in colder months, you'll stay toasty warm. You'll make stops to get out and feel the air, and if you feel the urge to hug a Ponderosa pine tree, just do it — their bark smells like butterscotch.

For many visitors, the Jeep tour is a birthday splurge. "My dad is 82 years old and always wanted to come back to Colorado. The first time he brought us on vacation here I was a little girl," one Viator visitor writes. "We brought him back here for his birthday ... It made my heart so happy." The ability to slow down or stop means you have a good chance of spotting wildlife, too. "Our summit experience was topped with a visit from several mountain goats," another Viator enthusiast gushes. "We also saw a marmot taking in the view and a deer with a good sized rack. And we had several Big Foot sightings!" Now that's getting into the spirit of things.

When you get to the summit, you'll curse yourself for forgetting your windbreaker. How is it 85 degrees in Colorado Springs and 45 up here? Ah, then your guide quietly passes out loaner jackets without so much as a told-you-so — it's like they've done this before.

You can hike to the summit of Pike's Peak along the Barr Trail, a punishingly long 13.5 mile route that gains a truly staggering 7,400 feet in elevation. (By comparison, it's only 9.5 miles and 4,400 feet from the rim of the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River on the notoriously difficult and dangerous Bright Angel Trail.) The Barr is by no means a technically difficult trail, just very, very long, with a lot of up, up, and away. Usually this kind of effort gets you to a singular view that's only available the hard way, so you might feel just a wee bit let down to find a parking lot, and even a donut shop, waiting at the summit. Then again, given the calories you just burned, a donut sounds awfully good...

The mountain's famous donuts are scientifically engineered to be especially fluffy and delicious, pairing a 1916 recipe with modern tech to maximize the magical effect the altitude has on the baking process. It's said that if you bring them back down to the base of the mountain, they will shrivel up and lose their superpowers, so eat 'em up while they're high and hot. And after you've treated your belly to fried dough, treat your knees to a ride back down the mountain aboard the cog train.

If you're a road cyclist with nerves of steel and excellent brakes, you can take the train to the top and ride down the highway. Or book a downhill bike tour, which will equip you with knee pads, a full-face helmet, and the added safety of riding in a group — "and crown thy good with brotherhood" just like the song says.